Helping hand: the DC 10 jet from Sydney drops a batch of retardant on the grass to stop the fire burning.

Assessing the damage: a patch of the land that was burnt near Savernake Road in Mulwala.

Fire crews from Cobram, Mulwala, Yarrawonga and a specialist unit from Yarroweyah had an expensively assembled friend to thank when a DC 10 jet from Sydney helped them put out a potentially dangerous fire in Mulwala.

After battling the grass blaze near Savernake Rd for nearly three hours on February 28, the determined fire crews eventually got some much-needed assistance from the DC 10 jet, which dropped a large amount of retardant in front of the fire, halting its ability to burn rapidly.

Cobram Fire Brigade captain Adrian Hilder said a strong south-westerly breeze meant the fire had jumped roads, making it harder to get under control.

Mr Hilder said although there was no immediate danger to human life, a number of properties were under serious threat.

He thanked the local farmers for their assistance.

‘‘Luckily there were farmers there with graders who gave us a hand in slowing down the fire,’’ Mr Hilder said.

He said while continued spotting over the containment lines made it tricky to handle, once the crews stopped the spread of the fire with major assistance from the DC 10 jet, it was relatively easy to take care of.